This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The function of articular cartilage is to withstand high pressure, absorb shock and prevent the transmission of stress to the underlying bone. Osteoarthritis is commonly occurring progressive chronic disease characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage experienced as pain and disability. Early arthritis is characterized by loss of the proteoglycan "springs" that allow for cartilage to absorb shock, and we have shown in the past that T1[unreadable] relaxation mapping by magnetic resonance imaging is sensitive to the concentration of proteoglycan in tissue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the metabolic changes in experimentally induced bovine articular cartilage in culture by treatment with interleukin 1[unreadable] (IL-1[unreadable]), a factor in the development of arthritis. Numerous experimental compounds such as glucosamine and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are being tested to see their effects upon the progression of the disease. The primary technique used to investigate these changes is T1[unreadable] relaxation mapping because these findings can then be used to track future human treatment regimens. These results are also correlated with histology and biochemistry. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate that T1[unreadable] relaxation can be used to probe even small metabolic changes due to experimentally induced changes in articular cartilage with IL-1[unreadable] as well as glucosamine.